Salvation happened because of God’s unconditional and total love. This love encompasses all virtues. Mercy is a constitutive part of this love. And this mercy which saves is God-given, God-driven, and God-empowered.
Today’s Gospel reverberates with the revelation and declaration: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” God is rich in mercy because of his great love for us (see Eph 2:4). And he does not love us from a distance—he is with us and among us. He is with us in our difficulties and problems, troubles and doubts, frustrations and disappointments. He journeys with us as we mature in faith and as we strive to become holy.
Once in a while we commit mistakes, we fail. We offend God and hurt others. We put a block or distance between us and God. This breaks God’s heart. But God is so good. He helps us to realize our mistakes and failings. He calls us to repentance, back to his loving embrace. Indeed, God is dives in misericordia, rich in mercy.
God’s mercy is compassionate. It is more than emotion. It is a pity that moves him to do something, to cross boundaries. God does not simply say, “Kawawa ka naman” (“I pity you”). He reaches out and reassures his people, “Narito ako, kasama mo. Tutulungan kita” (“I’m here with you. I will help you”). He feels our misery, suffers with us. He has passio (deep feeling) for us. He is not a stranger to our struggles.
God’s mercy is forgiving. When Jesus dies on the cross, he dies not like a sinner but, ironically, as a “sinner,” as the Lord laid our guilt on him. God, in Jesus, does not just understand our sinfulness. He has, in a manner of speaking, borne our being a sinner. Because he shares our human frailty, he showers us with forgiveness. We remain precious in his sight despite the many times that we have offended him.
God’s mercy is just. Despite his compassion, he never compromises his standard. What is wrong is wrong. What is sin is sin. He offers his grace without endorsing sinfulness. He remains loving without tolerating sin. He is moved to anger because his holiness is blurred by sin. But his anger is coupled with love and concern for the people.
This Lenten season is an opportune time for us to experience God’s mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation. It is also a perfect time for us to share this mercy with others by being compassionate, forgiving, and just.